African Kingdoms

West Africa

Kingdom of Dahomey / DahomaniaAD 17th Century - 1894

Situated in western
Africa, the kingdom
of Dahomey (or Abomey in its earliest years) was formed by a mixture of
various local ethnic groups on the Abomey plain. The tribal groups, possibly
forced to move due to the slave trade, coalesced around a highly centralised,
strict military culture which was aimed at securing and eventually expanding
the borders of the small kingdom. It also practised human sacrifice in large
numbers and traded captives to the slave traders who prospered along its
coastline, which was part of the notorious Slave Coast.

The kingdom covered the southern third of the modern republic of Benin, and
it bore its name until 1975, when it was neutrally renamed the republic of
Benin to appease the large number of ethnic groups which formed part of the
relatively new state. Dahomey bore no relation to the
Benin empire. It was
the kingdom of the Fon people, one of the groups which formed the modern
Benin state.

When the Nubians conquered
Meroë at the start of the
sixth century BC, some of the Meroë fled west and ended up establishing
themselves in what is now
Nigeria and Benin. This
is known because the priesthood in these countries uses technical words which
are Semitic. One of these is 'Al' as a prefix, used in the names of their
spirits (angels). The word also lent itself to the name of the medieval
state of Alodia.

(Additional information by Edward Dawson.)

by c.1650

A group of Aja from the coastal kingdom of Allada had previously moved
northwards to settle amongst the Fon people of the interior, and by this
date they have gained dominance and declare a kingdom.

? - 1620

Gangnihessou

Declared the founding of the kingdom.

1620 - 1645

Dakodonou

1645

Ganye Hessu

1645 - 1685

Houegbadja / Wegbaja

1685 - 1708

Akaba

m Hanebe, who apparently co-ruled.

1708 - 1740

Agadja

Agadja conquered the kingdom of Allada,

1730

Despite conquering his ancestral homeland in Allada, the king is unable to
defeat the neighbouring kingdom of Oyo, and Dahomey becomes tributary to it,
although in all other respects it retains its independence.

Dahomey tribespeople were photographed for Hubert Howe Bancroft's
The Book of the Fair, published in Chicago in 1893, by which
time Dahomey was the subject of extreme interest by the French,
and its former status as a regional power was eroded

1740 - 1774

Tegbessou

1774 - 1789

Kpengla

1789 - 1797

Agonglo

1797 - 1818

Adandozan

1818 - 1856

Ghezo

1821

The
British
presence along the West African coast is formalised with the creation of the
Gold
Coast crown colony. This not only helps to keep the competing
French
and their Ivory Coast territory from expanding eastwards, but also gives
Britain a foothold in influencing the affairs of the Asante kingdom. Only
grass and bush separate the French West Africa territories to the north from
Asante, and the kingdom of Dahomey borders Asante to the east so the French
focus their attentions here instead.

by 1850

Dahomey increasingly loses its status as the regional power.

1856 - 1889

Glele

1889 - 1894

Behanzin

1892 - 1894

The
French begin take control of the territory during the Dahomey War
using mainly African troops, quite possibly from neighbouring tribes only
too happy to end the kingdom's dominance of the region.

Dahomey is incorporated along with many other West African states into
France's West Africa colony.

1899

Civilian governorship of
French Sudan
is temporarily ended when the entire colony is reorganised so that
eleven of the southern districts are parcelled out to various
French coastal territories, including Dahomey, French Guinea, and Ivory
Coast. The remainder is split into two administrative regions - Middle Niger
and Upper Senegal - which are subservient to the authority of other French
colonies.

The state is granted autonomy as the republic of
Dahomey, followed by full
independence two years later. A period of instability follows, with
Marxism-Leninism being adopted as the official ideology.

Modern Dahomey / BeninAD 1960 - Present Day

The kingdom of
Dahomey in West Africa was
ended by
French colonial occupation in 1894, after they took control during the
Dahomey War of 1892-1894. The state was granted autonomy as the republic
of Dahomey in 1958, followed by full independence in 1960. A period of
instability followed, with Marxism-Leninism being adopted as the official
ideology. However, the country continued to bear its old name until 1975,
when it was neutrally renamed the republic of Benin to appease the large
number of ethnic groups which formed part of the relatively new modern
state. The name came from the Bight of Benin, which itself gained its
name from the Benin
empire.

Today the country is one of Africa's most stable democracies, although
it is severely under-developed and corruption is rife. Elements of
voodoo, which are still practised in countries such as
Haiti,
originated from the West African coast which includes Benin. The religion
is celebrated on the country's annual Voodoo Day. Today the country is
bordered by Togo in the west, Burkina Faso to the north-west,
Niger to the north-east,
and Nigeria to the east.

1972

The country has experienced almost continuous strife following independence,
overseen by a democratic government which has seen frequent changes in
ruler. In 1972, a military coup led
by Mathieu Kérékou overthrows the ruling council and establishes a Marxist
government.

1972 - 1991

Mathieu Kérékou

Dictator. Stood down after free elections.

1975

Kérékou renames the country the People's Republic of Benin.

1979

Kérékou's Marxist military council is dissolved and elections take place,
albeit with Kérékou as the only candidate allowed.

Mathieu Kérékou, dictator of Dahomey who oversaw its change of
name to Benin, is seen here in 2006, after the conclusion of his
successful term as the country's democratically elected president

1989 - 1990

The country has undergone an economic crisis in a decade which forces Kérékou to
abandon Marxism in favour of a parliamentary system. The following year the
country's name is changed on 1 March to the Republic of Benin.

1991

Kérékou loses free elections to Nicéphore Soglo and steps down. He later
stands for the 1996 elections, which he wins, and governs fairly, without
attempting to change the new 1990 constitution to allow him to remain in
power.

2006

Fully free and fair multi-party elections in the country draw international
praise.